FTC Mulling Apple Spurn of Google, AdMob as Anti-competitive

The Federal Trade Commission is scrutinizing Apple's business practices in the mobile software market amid complaints from Google that the company is prohibiting it from offering its AdMob advertising services on the iPhone. Apple June 7 revised its developer terms of service for its iPhone and iPad operating system to include language that prevents non-independent advertising technology providers such as AdMob and others from offering ads that run within iPhone applications. This paves the way for iAd to be the premier provider of in-app ads for the most popular smartphone in the country.

The Federal Trade Commission is scrutinizing Apple's mobile business
practices amid complaints from Google's AdMob unit that Apple is prohibiting it
from offering its advertising services on the iPhone.
The Wall Street Journal said (paywall) FTC has for weeks been negotiating with the
Department of Justice over which agency holds sway over the allegations by
companies claiming they are being locked out of the iPhone, which has sold more
than 50 million units to help Apple win 28 percent of the U.S. smartphone market.

Apple June 7 revised its developer terms of service for its iPhone and iPad
operating system to include language that prevents non-independent advertising
technology providers such as AdMob and others from offering ads that run within
iPhone applications.

As part of its preparation for the launch of iPhone 4 June 24 and its iAd ad platform July 1, Apple implemented clause 3.3.9, which states applications may not
collect data without users' consent and sell the data to advertisers.
Developers may not use third-party analytics software in their application.
Moreover, application data may not be provided to an advertising service
provider owned by or affiliated with a maker of mobile devices, mobile
operating systems or development environments other than Apple.
That includes AdMob and Google, as well as Microsoft, Yahoo and others in
the crowded market for mobile ads. Smaller providers such as Millennial Media,
Jumptap and Greystripe appear to be in the clear here.

AdMob founder Omar Hamoui, who spurned Apple's $600 million offer to sell
his company to Google for $750 million, said June 9 Apple's new terms lock out rivals and threaten to decrease sales for developers who want to use
AdMob's technology to put ads within iPhone apps.
Hamoui built his company by becoming the premier provider of digital ads
that launch within applications for the iPhone.
Apple's new terms of service indicate AdMob cannot serve in-app ads because
AdMob belongs to Google, whose Android operating system has 9 percent of the
smartphone market and is proving popular among users who don't want to buy an
iPhone.